Gas compressor station



` Jan. 8, 1946.

S. S. STEVENS GAS COMPRESSOR STATION File/d June 14,A

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IN VEN TOR. .Samuel 5. Sievens.

mfr-reg.

`Patented Jan. 8, 1946 GAS COMPRESSOR STATION Samuel S. Stevens,Brookline, Mass., assigner to B. F. Sturtevant Company, Boston, Mass.

Application June 14, 1944, Serial No. 540,251 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-136)This invention relates-to natural gas supply systems and has as anobject the recovery of en- 'dred pounds per square inch, this pressureto be increased by the compressor to say, four hundred `and nity poundsper square inch. The gas engine however, cannot operate at a gas supplypressure of two hundred pounds, so it is usual to drop the pressure toabout one pound through a pressure reducing valve. The energy releasedin the pressure reduction is lost.

This invention provides for utilizing the energy released in reducingthe pressure'of the gas for supplying refrigeration andvpower and willnow be described with reference to the drawing which illustratesdiagrammatically one embodiment of the invention.

The compressor 5 driven by the gas engine 6 increases the pressure oithe gas in the natural gas main 1. Gas from the main `I is supplied'through the pipe 8 into the gas turbine 9.' The gas has its pressurereduced in the turbine and its temperature is lowered thereby. The coldgas from the outlet oi the turbine, passes through the shell and tubetype heat exchanger i in indirect contact with the gas compressed by thecompressor and partially cools the compressed gas. It then passesthrough the pipe Il submerged in water in the water cooler I2, and thenthrough the pipe I3 into the gas inlet of the eugine 8.

been described for the purpose o'I` illustration, it should beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus andarrangement of apparatus illustrated, as modiilcations thereof may besuggested by those skilled in the art Without departure from the essenceof the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gas compressor station having a high pressure gas main, aninternal combustion engine requiring low pressure gas for fuel. thecombination of a gas expansion engine, means for supplying gas from saidmain into the inlet ot said expansion engine. a water cooler, means forpassing the gas from Ithe outlet oi said expansion engine in indirectcontact with the water in said cooler and then into the gas inlet ofsaid internal combustion engine, and means for recirculating the jacketwater of said internal combustion engine through said cooler.

2. In a gas compressor station having a high pressure gas main, a gascompressor for. compressing the gas flowing through said main, and aninternal combustion engine driving said compressor, said enginerequiring low 'pressure gas for fuel, the combination oi a gas expansionengine, means tor supplying gas from said main into the inlet of saidexpansion engine, a heat'l exchanger, a water coor, means forrecirculating the jacket water o said internal combustion engine throughsaid cooler, means for passing the compressed gas from said compressorthrough said exchanger, and means for passing -the gas from the outletor said expansion engine through said exchanger in indirect contact withthe gas from said compressor, then through saidcooler in indirectcontact with thewater therein and then into 'the gas inlet'oi saidinternal combustion The turbine performs three functions. ItV low- I ersthe pressure of the gas from the main 1 to that required by the gasengine 6. In lowering the pressure. the gas is expanded and cooled andthe cold gas used for cooling the gas compressed byv the compressor andfor cooling the jacket water The turbine 9 may be a single. or multiplestage `engine.

said internal combustion engine, means including a pump forrecirculating the jacket water o! said internal combustion enginethrough said cooler,

electric generator driven by said expansion turbine depending upon thepressure reduction required. It a multiple stage turbine, gas forcooling may be `taken oi! between stages.

While one embodiment ci the Vinvention has engine, and an electric motorconnected electrically to said generator and connected mechant callytosaid pump for driving saidpumpthrough electric energy derived fromsaid generator.

.Y K. .SAMUEL STEVENS.

